Harry Potter and the Unforeseen Champion
by dinadan256
Summary: Harry Potter was looking forward to see who the three Champions of the Tri-Wizard Tournament would be. But nothing is ever quite so simple in Hogwarts, at least not for Harry. There is more going on than the revival of a dangerous competition, that much is certain. An alternate take on the 'Goblet of Fire'
1. Chapter 1

**Harry Potter and the Unforeseen Champion – Chapter 1**

Harry James Potter was in a great mood. After three years in Hogwarts, school for wizardry and witchcraft, he was looking forward to an entire year without death-defying adventures. The previous years had included everything from Dark Wizards to enormous monsters and Harry had had more than enough excitement.

Growing up in a difficult home, mistreated and ignored in equal measure, he always had an appreciation for staying unnoticed. But while the wizarding world was like the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel, it was also a world that had made him a celebrity long before he knew of its existence. Everything he did was scrutinized.

For Harry wasn't a normal boy. He was the 'boy-who-lived', the only known survivor of the very appropriately named 'Killing Curse'. The universally feared and powerful dark wizard Voldemort attacked Harry's family, killing his parents with just that curse. But when he tried that same unblockable and inevitable curse on a toddler, he not only failed to kill Harry, but managed to destroy his own body. Since then Harry had faced Voldemort twice, triumphing both times through bravery and more than his fair share of luck.

But this year things would be different, hence his good mood. This year Hogwarts was hosting the Tri-Wizard Tournament, a competition between three schools: Harry's own school Hogwarts, the secretive and somber Durmstrang Institute for sorcery and Beauxbatons Academy of magic, France's premier institute for witches and wizards. Every school would have its own champion chosen by a magical artifact called 'The Goblet of Fire'. All participants had to be of age, meaning seventeen or older, to make sure that they had the necessary knowledge to make it through the notoriously lethat tournament alive. To get their chance, every volunteer had to throw a piece of paper with their name into the goblet. A magical 'age line' had been drawn around the pedestal with the goblet designed to rebuff everyone not of legal adulthood.

Already the champions of Durmstrang and Beauxbatons had been determined. Durmstrang would be represented by Viktor Krum, a young man nearly as famous as Harry himself. Only weeks ago Krum had been the seeker of the Bulgarian Quidditch – a complicated sport played on flying brooms – team taking part in the final of the World Cup in said sport. Despite his tremendous talents their opponents, the Irish, had proven better. Nonetheless, he was famed for his flying skill and it was rumored that he was an able wizard, too.

Harry, himself a gifted Quidditch player and playing on the same position as Krum, could at least attest the former, if not the latter. As luck would have it, the family of his close friend Ron Weasley had had cards for the game and two extra. This meant the Weasleys had invited Ron's best friends Harry and Hermione Granger to come with them. They were currently sitting next to him, bickering over who would be chosen, but Harry wasn't listening. For once he could just soak in the atmosphere without worry. At fourteen years he couldn't participate even if, for some insane reason, he would want to.

The French witch Fleur Delacour had been chosen to be Beauxbatons champion. Harry knew next to nothing about her. His best friend Ron believed that she was part Veela, a magical race of extraordinary beautiful women able to entice men (and sometimes women) with their mere presence. They were also able to transform into bird-like creatures and had some control over fire. Harry had seen Veela during the final match. The Bulgarian team had had Veelas as mascots and cheerleader with them.

There had yet to be a sign whether or not Fleur could transform into a bird-thing or that she could control fire. However, the young woman was certainly beautiful enough to qualify for a Veela, and the amount of starry eyed boys left in her wake seemed to confirm it, too. Considering that she had been chosen to represent her school, there was also no doubt that she was more than just a pretty face.

Again the Goblet's eponymous fire rose, like it did when it had spat out the names of Viktor Krum and Fleur Delacour. Harry was excited to find out who would be Hogwart's champion. Hopefully it would be his Quidditch teammate Angelina Johnson, but Harry didn't really know how good a witch she was compared to others of her age. In fact, Harry didn't know most of the older students of his own school-house, Gryffindor, let alone those from Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin.

The piece of parchment flew out of the fire and softly tumbled through the air. The seemingly ancient headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore, – he had several middle names, but Harry didn't remember them accurately – caught the slip easily, his dexterity belying his obvious age. Dumbledore had always been a grandfatherly sort of teacher, trying to be kind yet firm and usually succeeding. Harry liked him a lot, but even those who didn't respected, and sometimes even feared, the old man's knowledge and power.

"The champion of Hogwarts," the magically amplified voice of the headmaster boomed through the main hall. "Is Cedric Diggory!"

Cedric jumped up and managed to look both beside himself with triumph and modest at the same time. Harry knew him surprisingly well, despite Diggory being older and in another house, Hufflepuff namely. Diggory also played seeker in Hufflepuff's Quidditch team, much like Harry did for Gryffindor, meaning that Harry had had ample opportunity to get to know him.

Cedric had been always been a friendly if spirited rival and the only one to ever beat Harry. The game had been a controversial one, because Dementors interfered in it. Dementors were monsters living of the emotional misery of humans around them, quite literally sucking the joy out of anyone close to them, and were nearly exclusively used to guard the most heinous criminals of magical Britain. Their most horrible ability was to suck out the soul of a person with a disgusting mockery of a kiss. They could also suppress positive memories and feelings, drawn to and affecting those with more tragedy in their life the most.

Harry, sadly, was such a person and was attacked by them during the game, causing him to lose consciousness. Without competition Cedric easily won the game for his team. However, being the incredibly fair and nice guy that he was, he tried to get a rematch. Harry wasn't so sure that it was all the Dementors, though. The weather was stormy and Harry's light frame didn't do him any favors. Combine that with Diggory's greater experience and Harry wasn't convinced that Cedric wouldn't have won regardless. Oliver Wood, the captain of Harry's team, saw it similarly and refused a rematch.

That gesture alone would have won him Harry's support, but Cedric was also a talented and helpful wizard. It was well known that he gave free tutoring lessons when his time permitted it. Nobody had been surprised when Cedric had been named Prefect last year, a student with authority to enforce rules and help others. And everyone, including Harry, was sure that he would be Head Boy next year, representing the entire student body alongside a Head Girl.

While Harry was thinking about that, and ignoring the discussions around him, Cedric had already left the hall and headed to another room. He would probably be told there what to expect in the first of the three tasks of the tournament. Headmaster Dumbledore was busy calming down the students and would probably say some final words before sending them all to bed.

Just at that moment, the Goblet's fire started to swell again. Harry was confused. There shouldn't be a forth fire, because that would mean a forth champion. It was called 'The **Tri** -Wizard Tournament' for a reason. The hall went deathly silent and even the usually unflappable Dumbledore appeared shocked. The two headmasters of the other schools, brusque and dour Igor Karkarov of Durmstrang and unbelievably tall Olympe Maxim of Beauxbatons, stood equally speechless next to him.

And just like the three times before, a small slip of paper was spat out by the flames, lazily floating through the air. The elderly headmaster's hand hesitantly caught it.

Harry's heartbeat quickened, all his senses focused on Professor Dumbledore's face. The Professor's eyes were glancing from the paper into the mass of Hogwart's students and back again. Suddenly the Headmaster looked directly at Harry. Without noticing Harry gripped the chair in front of him tight enough for his knuckles to turn white. It couldn't be, not again! In his mind, he could already hear his name being announced.

Finally Dumbledore's spoke in a voice so light it seemed barely more than a whisper and yet it filled the room like the dread judgement it was.

"Tracey Davis."

Author's note: If you have questions, please leave me a way to contact you. I want to keep whatever notes short. Future chapters will be longer.


	2. Chapter 2

**Harry Potter and the Unforeseen Champion – Chapter 2**

The entire Great Hall was wrapped in suffocating silence. Harry's heart had stopped for an eye blink, so sure was he that it would be _his_ name on the fourth slip. It would have seamlessly continued his streak of unplanned – and generally unwanted – adventures. He closed his eyes in relieve and let out the breath he didn't realized he had been holding.

As if waiting for just that, the silence was broken and it seemed like everyone started talking at the same time.

Harry could hear outrage, accusations and most of all bewilderment. People looked around in search for whoever that 'fourth' champion was supposed to be, but nobody got up. A few were pointing towards the directions were most of the Slytherin students were sitting, not that Harry needed that to make out his own classmate with whom he was now sharing his fourth year at Hogwarts.

It took Harry only seconds to find the girl sitting next to her friends Daphne Greengrass and Pansy Parkinson. Davis' pretty face had lost all colour, her mouth hung open and her unblinking wide eyes were filled with distress. Her body was shaking and she was reacting to neither the crowd's agitation nor her friends' attempts to get her attention.

The girl was under shock. The raven haired boy was hardly a medical expert, but he had both experienced and seen shock often enough, thanks to his yearly brushes with death. Ron and Hermione could recognize this without a doubt as well.

"Tracey Davis!" Professor Dumbledore declared again.

This seemed to finally reach Davis as she stood up, still trembling and pale as death. She made her way, accompanied by Greengrass, to the elderly wizard. Harry couldn't hear what was being said, the noise around him was just too much, but he suddenly felt an arm on his shoulder and turned around.

"Can you believe it, Harry?" Ron shouted.

Before he could continue – or Harry answer for that matter – someone sitting behind them almost fell into Ron. The crowd was getting more and more frantic and Harry was having trouble not tumbling down to the next row of seats himself. Everyone wanted to get a better look or talk to other students sitting further away, getting louder with each passing second.

"SILENCE!" Professor Dumbledore's voice boomed through the Great Hall again.

The crowd froze and went back to sitting quietly. Harry looked to the front again and saw Davis disappear through the same doors as the other three champions. Greengrass was animatedly talking to Professor McGonagall, Harry's head of House, evidently trying to follow her friend through the door. It was nice to know that Harry wasn't the only one with loyal friends. The Professor was placating the girl and soon Greengrass was nervously waiting in front of the door while Professor McGonagall went to the three Headmasters. In the back of the hall two Ministry officials Barty Croch, Head of the Department of International Cooperation, and Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, moved towards the door as well, with the latter slipping right through.

"I know this turn of events has been… fairly unorthodox." Dumbledore began speaking. "However, disorderly conduct will avail nobody. Now then, I think it best for everyone here to return to their respective lodgings in an orderly fashion." When some students remained seated, he added, "That was not a suggestion."

Everyone was starting to get up, organized by the Prefects of the four Houses and overseen by Professor Flitwick, Head of Ravenclaw, and Professor Sprout, Head of Hufflepuff. Severus Snape, Head of Slytherin seemed uncharacteristically worried. Then again, to Harry any worry from the potions professor was uncharacteristic by default. Harry noticed that the teachers who accompanied the delegations of the two other schools were also helped by a small number of students. It didn't take long and Harry was on his way to the Gryffindor dormitories.

"I can't believe it!" Ron started in a hushed voice, one of many students to do so. "So much for the age line. I knew I should've tried harder to enter! Now a cheating Slytherin has her chance. Leave it to them to break the rules…"

"Language, Ron! We shouldn't be pointing fingers when it comes to rules anyway. Can you even imagine how many rules there are that we _haven't_ broken in the last three years? Not that many let me tell you." Hermione lectured him and then added as an afterthought, "And you know that not all Slytherins are like Malfoy."

"You're right, but you don't get along any better with Slytherins, Hermione." Harry pointed out.

"I know, but it's not because they are in Slytherin, and really I don't have problems with Davis. It's really only Greengrass and Parkinson that bother me." Hermione answered. "What I want to know is how she managed to enter as a fourth participant."

"Maybe Snape helped her?" Ron tried.

"Professor Snape, and no, I don't think so. The tournament is supposed to be dangerous and I mean REALLY dangerous. Professor Snape is very protective of his House, so I don't think that he would help them." Hermione explained.

It sounded weird to Harry that Snape could be helpful in any way or form. The man held an intense dislike for Gryffindor's in general and Harry in particular. He had hated Harry's late father James and transferred those feelings to Harry himself who looked just like him, with the exception of his notable emerald eyes which he had inherited from his mother Lily.

"I'm not sure Davis entered herself at all." Harry mumbled to himself. When he noticed that his two best friends were staring at him he continued louder, "Have you looked at her? She was completely out of it after Professor Dumbledore called her name. And it doesn't really seem like something she'd do."

"I dunno, Harry. Maybe she just faked it? Wouldn't surprise me if one of those snakes is good at that." Ron said half-serious.

"Or maybe she didn't expect it to actually work?" Hermione threw in. "She could have entered on a dare to prove to the others that she could, but didn't actually think that anything would come of it."

"That dare sounds more like something we might do, Hermione." Ron pointed out. "I don't think the Snakes care so much about being brave."

"You're right, Ron. Merlin, living in Gryffindor really changes the way we look at things, doesn't it?" Hermione admitted, surprised by her own train of thought.

"It didn't look fake to me, guys. Maybe she got entered by someone else? People die in that tournament." Harry explained another idea.

"Sure, Harry, but who would want to kill Davis?" Ron asked.

"No idea, but none of us really know enough about her to be sure." Harry replied. Davis had always tried to stay in the background, which wasn't too hard with friends like Parkinson and Greengrass. Those two enjoyed being the centre of attention.

With that they entered the Gryffindor common room. A few students inside weren't moving on to their dorms, it wasn't quite curfew yet. They were also talking about Davis and wondering how she got into the competition. Ron easily slipped into the discussion their classmates were having, while Harry and Hermione were standing close by and only rarely added their opinion. Since this was going nowhere – nobody knew how Davis could have entered – they soon were talking about how it was typical for Slytherin to pull something like this and how it was incredibly unfair that they were stealing Diggory's thunder.

Once curfew was nearing they all went to their dorm rooms. There the boys in Harry's year continued to talk for a bit before finally turning in for the night. Throughout all this, Harry couldn't forget Davis' distressed expression. He decided to keep an open mind and shortly afterwards fell asleep.

* * *

The next day continued the discussion. With the curiosity about the 'how' dying down, it was now mainly about Davis being a dirty cheat. Harry himself was mostly quiet. On the one hand he was glad that for once he truly wasn't who everyone was talking about, but on the other hand all this rubbed him the wrong way.

It reminded him too much of the things he had heard during his second year. Back then the student body had been talking about Harry in the same way because of something he didn't do. There was of course the possibility that Davis had entered herself, but Harry wasn't convinced of that yet. When some of his fellow Gryffindors suggested that Davis would get what was coming to her in the tournament proper, Harry decided that he had heard enough.

Harry tapped Ron on his shoulder and nodded towards the exit. The red-head instantly understood and they both went to the Great Hall for breakfast.

They've barely left the Gryffindor Common Room behind, when Harry asked, "Is Hermione already in the Great Hall? I didn't see her back there."

"Yep, she went down with Ginny, said that listening to the others go on and on without the slightest clue was giving her a headache. Gotta say, I also wanted a shot at the tournament, but what you said yesterday got me thinking, you know? She is a Slytherin and so I wouldn't put anything past her. But maybe Davis really is innocent, who knows? Hermione got a point about 'jumping to conclusions' as she called it." Ron said.

"She usually does." Harry agreed before he switched to the more innocent subject of classes.

They talked about their latest insane lesson by their Defence against Dark Arts teacher Alastor 'Mad-eye' Moody, a former auror – a magical law enforcement officer – who was famous for the number of Dark Arts wielders he caught and his boundless paranoia. Although he sometimes made Harry uncomfortable, he was a great and intense teacher who was holding nothing back. Judging by incredible number of scars he had, Moody was talking about first-hand experience, too. Harry really hoped that he would never have so many scars. The lightning-bolt one shaped on his forehead from the Killing Curse was more than enough.

While they were talking, Harry couldn't really get his mind off the situation back in the Gryffindor Common Room. He had hoped that after having been proven so wrong two years ago that people wouldn't be so quick to judge, at least in Harry's house. Obviously that wasn't happening. Maybe it'll turn out that she did enter herself, but Harry didn't believe it. At least Ron and Hermione were also not convinced of Davis' guilt.

It rankled him that the other boys from his year and house seemed completely sure that Davis was a cheat. That reaction didn't come as a surprise from Harry's dorm mates Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas. Neville Longbotto,however, was usually a very kind and open-minded guy. Of course, Neville had more reason than most to hate Slytherins as they routinely abused his gentle nature with trickery or outright bullying. Even Davis, who was usually nicer or at least more reserved than most of her housemates, had done so at times.

When Harry and Ron arrived in Great Hall they quickly spotted Hermione. Much like Ron had said, Ginny, his younger sister, was sitting next to her and they were holding a conversation.

"Hey there," Harry greeted. "Did we miss anything?"

Ginny looked up with a startled expression and seemed to have forgotten whatever the two had been talking about. Ron sniggered at that, while Harry made a mental note not to sneak up to them next time. Ginny had a hard enough time to talk to Harry without him making it worse.

Hermione didn't share Ginny's hesitation and answered, "Good morning, Harry. Professor Dumbledore made an announcement a few minutes ago."

Ron took a look around the hall and said, "Already? Not even half the school is present. What did he say?"

"Only that they still didn't know how Davis ended up in tournament, but that they will continue to try and uncover the mystery." Hermione said.

"Oh and there was also a bit that for now 'Tracey Davis is to be considered and treated as a true champion of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, with all privileges and responsibilities this position entails'." Ginny quickly quoted the headmaster.

"That's all?" Ron asked disbelieving, only causing the two teenage witches to shrug. "That only leaves us with every question we had."

Both boys sat on the opposite the girls and could observe the entirety of the Hall. While Ron was right and most students weren't present yet, there was still a tangible tension in the air, along with some animated conversations.

Harry took a few slices of toast and a couple of eggs before he asked, "What's this about privileges and responsibilities anyway? I thought champions just don't have to write exams."

All eyes were on Hermione who instantly provided the answer. "According to the rules, a champion doesn't have to attend classes, can ask for a place to train and has limited authority to exempt other students from classes as well. I might have missed a detail about their privileges or two."

"Exempt from classes? So Davis can allow Greengrass to skip whatever classes they feel like? What good would that do in the tournament? Not that I wouldn't like that myself." Ron wondered.

"Well, didn't Dumbledore say that the staff wasn't allowed to help directly with the tasks? Students can help, though I don't get what's limited about that." Harry said.

"All other students have to write exams, so, yes, she can theoretically allow anyone she wants to skip, but that's not very helpful for exam preparations." Hermione pointed out.

"Only you could worry about exams in moments like this," Ron joked.

Their conversation drifted towards other subjects and slowly but steady the Great Hall was being filled. The volume rose, as did the tension in the room. Nearly everyone was glancing at the Slytherin table, but neither Tracey Davis nor Daphne Greengrass could be found there. Only Pansy Parkinson was there, sitting with the two other Slytherin girls in their year, Millicent Bullstrode and Lilith Moon. Parkinson was periodically looking up, too, probably searching for Davis and Greengrass.

Just as Harry wanted to get up again, both girls entered right at the heels of Snape. They came through a door close to the Gryffindor table, so Harry could take a closer look. Davis must have barely slept with her shoulders slumped, brown hair frazzled and eyes bloodshot. Her friend Greengrass had managed to groom herself and seemed generally more composed. Then again, she wasn't the one who had to compete in a famously lethal tournament.

Their fellow forth year Slytherins waved them over and, after receiving a nod from Snape, they quickly joined them. Greengrass sat next to Parkinson and seemed to downright inhale her breakfast, while Davis only grabbed a napkin and some toast before marching right back to her head of house and left the hall with him.

Barely five minutes after sitting down, Greengrass was up again, straightened her robes and walked up to the older Slytherin students. With a few words and gestures she had their attention, but most of them quickly turned said attention back to their food. The few that did respond seemed to give only short answers. This was clearly not what Greengrass had wanted and she continued her efforts for a few minutes before running a hand through her blonde hair and looking around the Great Hall, finally noticing how many eyes were on her.

Harry would have really liked to know what she had been doing. For the first time he found himself wishing that the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables were closer together, despite the sometimes violent rivalry the two houses shared. As things were, Harry could only guess what she wanted from the older students.

Suddenly Greengrass walked away from the Slytherin table. What happened next caught Harry completely by surprise. Over the course of maybe fifteen minutes, the girl had talked to anyone from fourth year upwards at the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables. It took some time before Harry understood what she was doing. But when it dawned on Harry that she was asking the students to help Davis, he couldn't help but admire her courage.

For it must've taken a lot of courage to walk up to the other houses as they were badmouthing Slytherin in general and Davis in particular. And neither house was happy about her presence. Greengrass was being yelled at, insulted and hexed. Hufflepuff was obviously worse in their treatment of her, some of them even threw food at her, which caused them to lose some points for the house. Not that those points appeared to matter to the other Hufflepuff.

Had someone told Harry that Greengrass would walk around and do most everything short of begging for help, he'd have told the person to use a better divination method next time. Harry was so used to her proud and haughty behaviour, he simply couldn't imagine her just taking insults and ridicule to her face like that. And yet that was exactly what Greengrass was doing. She was bearing it as best she could, not giving up even though Harry couldn't make out a single positive reaction among the students she talked to.

Once she was done with the Hufflepuffs, Greengrass just stood apart from the tables for a few minutes catching her breath. Most students lost interest at that point, but not Harry. She was in no way a friend of his, not even an acquaintance. But he felt sympathy for the girl, as she stood there with her once well-groomed appearance dishevelled by the arguments and the spells cast at her during them. Harry could imagine how she felt. People often claimed that they didn't care, but that was mostly bravado as far as he could tell, because it hurt. A Lot.

After a few minutes collecting herself, Greengrass took a deep breath and walked towards the Gryffindor table. Harry should have seen that coming, but he was still surprised. And he wasn't the only one.

"What's she doing?" Ron croaked, while a piece of bacon fell from his fork unnoticed.

"I think Greengrass wants to ask around in Gryffindor, too." Hermione said without thinking.

"I can see that! I mean what does she think that'll do? You saw what the 'Puffs did! She's gotta be stupid to think that _any Gryffindor_ would help her." Ron retorted.

"Or she's got to be that desperate." Harry pointed out. When the other two waited for him to continue he turned his head back to Greengrass.

She was already speaking with the upper years. Or to be more accurate she tried to speak and got to hear some new jeers. His housemates didn't jinx her yet, though a few did have their wands out. It was probably only a matter of time. Lots of Gryffindors and Slytherins didn't really need a reason to curse each other. They called it 'rivalry'. Harry didn't know what to call it, but he wasn't a fan of it.

In his first year Harry had been convinced that Slytherins were pure evil due to that rivalry. There were prats and worse there, like Draco Malfoy a particularly unpleasant and bigoted boy from a long line of wizards. And he wasn't alone. His friends were sycophants and bullies and the Slytherin Quidditch team seemed to consider of cheats and thugs.

No, Harry still didn't have much good to say about that particular house. On an intellectual level he knew that most Slytherins had never done anything to him, or at least nothing that students from other houses haven't done as well. That didn't mean that Harry was comfortable around them, but he still refused to stoop to the level of Malfoy and his cronies and just bully people. Seeing his housemates do just that… Harry couldn't take it. He got up, grabbed his bag and started to walk to his first class, preferring to wait the 45 minutes in front of the class than stay in the Great Hall.

Harry only managed to get down a few corridors when he heard Hermione's voice calling for him.

"Harry, wait up!" she called out. Hermione and Ron quickly caught up. "Where are you going? Classes don't start for more than half an hour."

"Sorry guys, I was just fed up with it all. And the teachers didn't do anything!" Harry complained.

"Well, of the heads of the houses only Professor Sprout was there and she is probably just as upset as every other Hufflepuff," Hermione explained.

"She should still do more than just take a few points for food being thrown at Greengrass!" Harry said mulishly.

"I know it's not fair, Harry, but look at it this way: How often did Greengrass and Parkinson get away with being cows?" Ron said.

"Language, Ron!" Hermione interjected.

"And Hermione always tells us how Greengrass is cheating her way through Arithmancy"

"It is Ancient Runes!"

"Yes, that! Anyway, Greengrass is hardly an innocent and dainty flower." Ron finished.

Hermione nodded and muttered, "She could really do with some humility."

"Maybe you are right with that, but we know that this won't end today or this week. Most of the others will be horrible until something else gets their attention. It's second year all over again." Harry argued.

Hermione looked at him with a new understanding. "This isn't about Davis and Greengrass, is it? Or not entirely. "

Harry hadn't thought about it this way, but realized that Hermione was right. His shoulders slumped and he said, "What if my name had come out of the goblet? Or better yet, what'll they do the next time something insane happens around me again? Just think about the last three years."

"I don't think first year counts, Harry. Nobody forced us to go after Quirrel." Hermione said.

"Yes, except no. We had no choice, because Professor McGonagall didn't believe us and we ended up stopping You-Know-Who on our own. She even apologized to us, remember?" Ron pointed out.

"Okay, maybe you're right," Hermione allowed, causing Ron to snort "But that's not really the point is it? Harry, it's really not our job to worry about every single thing that happens in this school. There are adults here for a reason, and I think Professor Dumbledore will make sure that nothing too bad happens to Davis. Didn't he say to you that at Hogwarts help will always be given to those who ask for it?"

Harry nodded stiffly and Ron added, "And I bet we can be happy to have a normal year at Hogwarts for once. Or what passes for normal around here."

After that Harry wasn't really listening anymore. Hermione spoke about help, but Harry hadn't even considered helping Davis himself. His housemates wouldn't be happy about it. That wasn't it, though. Harry was fairly sure that he could live with that. However, even now that he was thinking about offering his help he just couldn't imagine any Slytherin from his year asking or accepting it. Harry really didn't know why that thought made him so restless.

"Guys, let's get to the classroom. We can talk there as well as here. No point in standing around," Harry suggested.

"Oh thank Merlin… there you are!" a voice shouted in relieve. The three Gryffindors turned around to see an exhausted Daphne Greengrass limping in their direction. "I thought you were gone already."

"Are you hurt, Greengrass?" Harry asked instantly. The blonde may not be his friend, but he would bring her to the Hospital Wing and Madam Pomfrey, the school nurse, the second she asked for it.

"Mostly fine, I guess. I saw you three leave and went after you, but some berk hit me with a variant of the Leg-Locker curse. The counter spell doesn't work properly, so it took some time to catch up with you." Greengrass explained.

Judging by the bruise in her face, Greengrass must've tripped and have a nasty fall when she got hit. Right now she looked even worse than Davis did. Ron winced as he saw her face and said, "No offense, Greengrass, but you should really go to Madam Pomfrey, you look awful."

"Thank you for your astute observation, Weasley," Greengrass retorted, though her tone was still pleasant and agreeable. "And I will do just that, right after I had some words with Potter here."

"Wait a minute. You aren't going to ask what I think you are going to ask. Are you?" Hermione said while folding her arms in front of her chest. At everyone's flabbergasted looks she added, "You can't honestly think that anyone one of us would help you."

"And everyone thinks you are the smart one, Granger. I know there is only one person less likely to help Tracey and that's Longbottom." Greengrass replied. "So, no, I don't think that, but I still have to talk to Potter."

"Okay, Greengrass. I'm here so talk." At that the Slytherin glanced at Harry's friends and he realized that she hoped to talk to him alone. "Whatever you got to say, you can say right here."

The girl rubbed her temples before nodding and saying, "I'm here to invite you to a meeting tomorrow after dinner. Should it take too long, you'll get a slip that allows you to be out past curfew. Tracey needs to talk to you. I don't know exactly what it is about, but she said it has to do with the Tournament. She also said that the headmaster wants her to tell you whatever it is."

"And you just believe that story and expect us to believe it as well?" Hermione asked sceptically.

"Of course I believe her! She is my best friend." Greengrass answered instantly. "Oh and she gave me this letter as well."

She pulled a wrinkled envelope from her robes and handed it to Harry. It even had an unbroken wax seal. Both Ron and Hermione came closer to look at it, too.

"Do Slytherins seal all their letters with wax?" Ron asked.

"Yes, Weasley, House Slytherin is _so_ pretentious that after every sorting each firstie gets a personal seal, as well as a crash course in casual snobbery." Was the annoyed answer.

"A 'no' would have worked as well... Crabby bint." Ron murmured, though Greengrass either didn't hear him or pretended not to.

The way the four of them were talking was almost pleasant. Harry meanwhile broke the seal and pulled out the parchment. What he noticed immediately was that the letter was not from Tracey Davis.

"It's from Dumbledore!" He exclaimed and started to read.

 _Dear Harry,_

 _I will not take much of your time, so let me be forthright. Ms Davis was not responsible for her selection as a Tri-Wizard Champion. I am unwilling to set down more details in this missive, but unfortunately the matter directly concerns you as well. Only very few are aware of this particular fact and I am sure you will agree that it is best that it stays that way. Due to my numerous duties and the nature of this subject, I cannot speak to you personally right now. Ms Davis has volunteered to elaborate on the details in a private conversation._

 _I am aware that you might be unwilling to trust a student of House Slytherin, due to your prior grievances both with its students and Professor Snape. Should this be the case, I will personally inform you at a later date. I have to stress, however, that this may take some time._

 _Kind regards_

 _Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore_

It was followed by his titles and accolades and finished with the official mark of Hogwarts, much like his acceptance letter before his first year. Greengrass seemed surprised but waited patiently, only squirming a bit whenever she leaned too much on her sore leg. After reading it Harry showed her the signature. The rest of the letter wasn't strictly speaking for her eyes, so he kept it and Greengrass didn't seem to mind anyway.

"It really is from the headmaster… I thought Tracey wrote it," she muttered.

"You didn't know what was written in the letter? Didn't you ask her?" Harry wondered.

"No, I didn't. She only told me it was important and that it was for you, Potter. I don't have a crippling need to know what's written in every single one of my friends' letters," she answered.

Ron glanced at Hermione and grinned cheekily causing her to huff in annoyance. Greengrass, however, appeared completely oblivious to that exchange, her tired mint green eyes fixed on Harry's emerald ones. Harry was sure that she meant this as another casual swipe at Hermione.

It was strange, Harry couldn't tell why the two of them hated each other. While Hermione never got along terribly well with Greengrass, it had always been Parkinson that irritated the Gryffindor girl the most. But ever since the start of this year something had been different.

"So? Will you come tomorrow?" Greengrass asked brightly.

"I don't see why not. It's only going to be Davis, so it'll be alright." Harry answered confidently. He turned and looked at his friends who nodded in agreement.

"We'll be there, Greengrass," Hermione quickly added. "Where are we supposed to meet Davis?"

"Stop right there, Granger. There won't be a 'we'. I asked _Potter_ and nobody else." Greengrass protested.

Confusion swept across Hermione's face, but it quickly turned into determination: "Why not? Harry will tell us anyway, that's what _real_ friends do. So Ron and I might as well come, too."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Granger," Greengrass replied scathingly. "But what do I know? Maybe Weasley and Potter really do put up with your nosy demands just like they do with your know-it-all attitude. Doesn't matter to me. You still don't get to invite yourself."

This excluded Ron, too, but Harry could tell that it was mostly focused on Hermione. A part of Harry wanted to know once more what had happened between Hermione and Greengrass. Most of him, though, was getting angry at Greengrass. Harry wouldn't stand by and just let someone belittle his best friends again and again.

"Well, maybe I don't want to come without my friends? You know those friends you keep insulting?" He hissed before Hermione could say something. Greengrass head turned back to him and he continued a bit calmer. "Besides she is right. I _will_ tell them, so why not let them come?"

"Because it's not about what you want, Potter!" she finally snapped. "I don't think that's a novel thing for you, despite the rubbish Draco keeps spreading all year, every year. If you can't be twenty minutes without them, feel free to stay away. OR you could come, listen to Tracey and if you still feel like it, you can go blab to your friends. We can't stop you from _that_ , but don't you DARE demand that Tracey has to spill her personal secrets to some people just because YOU like them!"

"Wait a minute," Ron interrupted and stopping Harry from shouting back. "Didn't you just say that you don't know what Davis wants to tell Harry?"

"No, I said I don't know 'exactly' what she will tell him," Greengrass gritted through nearly clenched teeth. "And that's true, I only know part of it."

"Oh, so _that's_ true? What else was 'inaccurate'?" Hermione asked, complete with finger quotes.

"Want me to put in book form, so you know it's the perfect truth, Granger?" Greengrass threw back.

"Why not? Maybe writing something down will spark a glimmer of sincerity in you, but I won't hold my breath for that. I don't even know why I expected better from you and your forked tongue!" Came back from the Gryffindor.

"A snake insult, how imaginative! But you know what? You won't have to tolerate me any longer, since I'm only wasting my time." Greengrass looked straight at the still upset Harry and added in a softer tone, "I've hoped that this would go differently, that you'd be happy to come. You always seemed so open and interested in others during class. But I guess not liking one of your friends is just too much of an offence for you. Excuse me, I've got to get to Madam Pomfrey."

With that she pushed past the three Gryffindors and tried to hurry away. 'Tried' being the operative word here, as her pronounced limp made hurrying all but impossible. Harry looked on, conflicted about what to do. He wanted to find out what was going on with the tournament and what it had to do with him. And a chance to get to know his classmates better was also very welcome. And Greengrass had really tried to nice to him, too. But he was still angry at how she had treated Hermione.

A small voice inside him said that Hermione hadn't been completely innocent in that, but it was promptly ignored. Hermione was his friend and so he had to stand up for her like she always stood up for him. That's what friends are supposed to do, right?

But right now, Harry didn't know what to do. Shouting at Greengrass wouldn't help and a glance at his friends only showed a fuming Hermione and a curiously watching Ron. He was also starting to feel a bit guilty about shouting at the Slytherin witch. She had a horrible time in the great hall so Harry should know from his experience with ridicule and his own temper, how frustrated and angry she must feel. And with each step Greengrass got further away, so Harry said the first half-way decent thing that came to his mind.

"I'll be there tomorrow!"

The blonde Slytherin stopped immediately. She whirled around and nearly lost her balance as she leaned on her sore and still jinxed leg. Her eyes widened in surprise, but then her brows furrowed in disbelief, followed by a confused shake of her head. Next she smiled lightly and opened her mouth as if to answer, only to close it abruptly and scowl at her three year mates. Harry was taken aback by the strange display and silently waited a few moments for his answer.

"We'll see about that won't we?" Greengrass finally said carefully. She glanced at Hermione before turning around and continuing down the corridor.

Just as she turned a corner, Ron filled the silence. "What was that?"

"What was what?" Harry asked without thinking.

"All of this!" he said, waving his arms around for emphasis. "Greengrass being nice to you – well as nice as a Slytherin gets – then going mad about Hermione and me coming along."

"It's 'Hermione and I'," Hermione corrected.

"Yes, that. And then Hermione of all people starts a fight with Greengrass!"

"We weren't fighting! We were… arguing. And I didn't see you trying to stand up for the two of us or put a stop to it, Ron!" the girl bristled.

"And miss the one time you had a real go at someone other than Malfoy? You even insulted her, or tried to anyway. You need more practice." Ron explained earnestly.

"I don't want to get better at… at… _that_!"

"Ron is just having a laugh, Hermione." Harry said and he really hoped he was right, too. "But what is it with you and Greengrass?"

"I don't even know!" Hermione answered, still riled up. "Last year, we've been civil in Ancient Runes, without Parkinson to muck it up for everyone. But all of a sudden she started treating me like… well you've seen it."

"At least some good came out of this," Ron said as they started to move towards their classroom.

"True," Hermione agreed with a firm nod of her head. "Now we'll find out what's going on with this insane tournament."

"That's not what I meant."

"And what, pray tell, did you mean?" Both Hermione and Harry stared curiously at Ron.

"Now you can't scold Harry and me for fighting with the Slytherins without being a giant hypocrite!" Ron announced with a giant grin.

"Just… shut up."

* * *

Author's note: I actually planned the chapter to be longer, but I think this works fine. In this chapter I tried to introduce Daphne Greengrass as both a sympathetic figure, but also not a friend. I hope it worked out. Tracey Davis will be introduced in the next one.


End file.
